Toy-Building Unit

ABSTRACT

A toy-building unit. The building unit includes a six armed structure having a ball portion at a distal end of each arm. The arms are arranged about a central body formed by their intersections and each arm extends from the central body perpendicularly to adjacent arms. A socket is formed by each set of three adjacent arms. The ball portion of a first building unit is inserted into the socket of a second building unit to removeably, rotatably, and pivotally engage the two building units.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Provisional Patent Application No. 61/230,864 filed Aug. 3, 2009 and is related to Design Pat. No. D617,395 filed Aug. 3, 2009, issued Jun. 8, 2010, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the invention are defined by the claims below, not this summary. A high-level overview of various aspects of the invention are provided here for that reason, to provide an overview of the disclosure, and to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed-description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

A toy-building unit for use by children of all ages is described. The toy-building unit includes six arms of equal length that extend from a central body at perpendicular angles to adjacent arms. A ball of a ball-and-socket-style joint is located at a distal end of each of the six arms. The socket of the ball-and-socket joint is formed by the intersection of three adjacent arms and the central body. Thereby, two toy-building units may be joined by inserting the ball of a first toy-building unit into a socket of a second toy-building unit. The engagement of the ball and socket as well as the frictional properties of the two toy-building units removeably and rotatably couple the toy-building units to allow for construction of articulating and static structures by children of all ages.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a toy-building unit in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view a toy-building unit in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of three toy-building units in a stacked arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of three toy-building units coupled together in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is described with specificity herein to meet statutory requirements. But the description itself is not intended to necessarily limit the scope of claims. Rather, the claimed subject matter might be embodied in other ways to include different components, steps, or combinations of thereof similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies. Terms should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between various steps herein disclosed unless and except when the order of individual steps is explicitly described.

Embodiments of the invention include toy-building units and methods for their use. In an embodiment, a toy-building unit is described. The toy-building unit includes six arms that each extend from a central body at perpendicular angles to adjacent arms. The central body is formed by an intersection of first ends of the six arms. The toy-building unit also includes a substantially spherical second end of each of the six arms, the second end being distal to the central body, and a cavity formed by an intersection of three adjacent arms of the six arms and the central body. The cavity is composed of a void that is dimensioned to engage the second end of one of the six arms of another toy-building unit.

In another embodiment, a toy-building unit is described. The toy-building unit includes six arms of equal length that each extend from a central body. Four of the six arms lie in substantially a single plane and the remaining two of the six arms extend from the central body perpendicularly to the plane and in opposite directions to one another. The central body is formed by an intersection of proximate ends of the six arms. The toy-building unit also includes a substantially spherical ball located at a distal end of each of the six arms and a socket formed by an intersection of any three adjacent arms and the central body. Each of the three adjacent arms and the central body include a scalloped portion that is dimensioned to form the socket. And the socket is composed of a substantially spherical void that is dimensioned to engage the ball of another toy-building unit.

In another embodiment, a method for constructing a structure is described. A number of toy-building units are provided. Each of the toy-building units includes six arms that extend from a central body at perpendicular angles to adjacent arms, a central body formed by an intersection of first ends of the six arms, a substantially spherical ball located at a second end of each of the six arms, and a cavity formed by an intersection of three adjacent arms of the six arms and the central body. The cavity is composed of at least a portion of a substantially spherical void that is dimensioned to engage the ball of one of the six arms. A first ball of a first toy-building unit of the plurality of toy-building units is inserted into an equal number of cavities of a second toy-building unit of the plurality of toy-building units. The first ball contacts a second ball of at least one of three adjacent arms of the second toy-building unit. At least one of the three adjacent arms at least partially flexes to allow the first ball to pass between the second balls of the three adjacent arms and to engage the socket.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, and to FIGS. 1 and 2 in particular a toy-building unit 10 is described in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The toy-building unit 10 comprises six arms 12 extending from a central body 14. The arms 12 are arranged about the central body 14 such that each arm extends perpendicularly to four arms 12 adjacent thereto and in an opposite direction to a fifth arm 12 located on an opposite side of the central body 14 therefrom. For example, the adjacent four arms 12 generally lie in a single plane and fifth and sixth arms 12 extend perpendicularly to that plane and in opposite directions to each other. As such, the building unit 10 is generally symmetrical about an axis passing coaxially through a pair of two arms 12 located opposite the central body 14. The central body 14 is formed by the intersection of the six arms 12. In another embodiment, any number of arms is evenly distributed about a central body and extends therefrom.

Each of the arms 12 is of substantially the same length and includes a generally spherical ball portion 16 located at a distal end of the arm 12. The ball portion 16 has dimensions sufficient to provide frictional or mechanical engagement with a socket 20 (described below) to form a joint similar to a ball-and-socket joint. Each arm 12 also includes four scalloped or concave portions 18 near an end of the arm 12 that is opposite the ball portion 16. In an embodiment, the scalloped portions 18 extend generally from the central body 14 along the arm 12 and overlap the ball portion 16 of the arm 12.

The socket 20 is formed by a scalloped or concave portion 18 on adjacent sides of each of three adjacent arms 12 and a respective surface of the central body 14 located at the intersection of the three adjacent arms 12. The combination of the three scalloped portions 18 of adjacent arms 12 and the central body 14 provide a generally spherical void of sufficient dimensions to accept a ball portion 16 therein and to frictionally and/or mechanically engage the ball portion 16 to form a coupling similar to a ball-and-socket joint. Frictional engagement provides friction between the surfaces of a ball portion 16 and a socket 20; mechanical engagement provides a physical obstruction to the removal of a ball portion 16 from a socket 20 such as by the ball portions 16 of the three adjacent arms obstructing the path into and out of the socket 20. As such, the building unit 10 includes six ball portions 16 and eight sockets 20.

The ball portions 16 and the sockets 20 may have any desirable dimensions that are suitable for providing a ball-and-socket style engagement. For example, the ball portions 16 and the sockets 20 can have the same spherical diameter or the ball portions 16 can have a slightly larger spherical diameter than the sockets 20 such that the insertion of a ball portion 16 into a socket 20 flexes the three adjacent arms 12 outwardly from the socket. Conversely, the ball portion 16 can have a slightly smaller spherical diameter than the sockets 20. In another embodiment, the ball portions 16 and the sockets 20 have sufficient dimensions to provide a snap-fit engagement.

The building unit 10 is comprised of any available materials including, such as for example and not limitation, styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene (SEBS), urethane polymers, thermoplastic elastomers, and other available rubbers, plastics, metals, or combinations thereof. In an embodiment, the building unit 10 is comprised of the thermoplastic elastomer STYBUFLEX™ PSR 8534 available from Polychems Company. The material(s) comprising the building unit 10 provides sufficient rigidity to retain a ball-and-socket style engagement as well as sufficient flexibility to allow the arms 12 to flex or bend to allow engagement of the ball portions 16 and sockets 20 during use of the building unit by children. In an embodiment, the building unit 10 is comprised of a rubber material that provides an external surface with sufficient frictional properties or “tackiness” to aid in adding strength to the ball-and-socket style engagement between two building units 10. In another embodiment, the building unit 10 is comprised of a material that is non-toxic, flexible, low odor, and has sufficient wear resistance properties to make the building unit 10 safe for use by small children without breaking, tearing, or otherwise degrading.

The building unit 10 is constructed as a single piece of molded rubber, plastic, or metal by any production methods in the art, such as, for example and not limitation, injection molding, molding, machining, and casting, among others. The building unit 10 may also be constructed with an internal skeleton or core structure incased within an outer layer or material, e.g., a rigid plastic core having a softer rubber body molded thereabout. In an embodiment, one or more coatings or surface treatments are applied to the external surface of the building unit 10 to provide desired surface frictional and/or appearance properties. In yet another embodiment, the building unit 10 is constructed of one or more materials that exhibit magnetic properties such that the building units 10 are magnetically attracted to one another. Additionally, the materials may provide any color or appearance desired.

With additional reference now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the operation of the building units 10 is described. Three building units 10 are depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4. Each of the three building units 10 and their component parts are further differentiated by the addition of the reference characters A, B, and C for clarity of explanation; no indication of differences between the building units 10, 10A, 10B, and 10C is intended.

In operation, two or more building units 10A-C are coupled together by inserting a ball portion 16A of a first building unit 10A into a socket 20B of a second building unit 10B. The insertion of the ball portion 16A into the socket 20B causes the ball portion 16A of the first building unit 10A to contact the ball portions 16B of one or more of the three adjacent arms 12B around the socket 20B of the second building unit 10B.

A force is applied to the first building unit 10A thereby causing one or more of the arms 12B to flex outwardly to increase the spherical diameter of the socket 20B or the opening to the socket 20B formed by the ball portions 16B. As such, the ball portion 16A of the first building unit 10A is allowed to pass between the ball portions 16B of the three adjacent arms 12B and engage the socket 20B. As the ball portion 16A of the first building unit 10A passes by the ball portions 16B of the adjacent arms 12B, the adjacent arms 12B at least partially return to their original position. In an embodiment, the adjacent arms 12B are retained in a flexed position. In another embodiment, more than one ball portion 16A of a first building unit 10A engages an equal number of sockets 20B of a second building unit 10B. For example, as depicted in FIG. 3, three ball portions 16A of the first building unit 10A engage three sockets 20B of the second building unit 10B. Additionally, three ball portions 16B of the second building unit 10B engage three sockets 20C of the third building unit 10C.

The ball portion 16A of the first building unit 10A is held in the socket 20B of the second building unit 10B by one or more mechanisms. The ball portions 16B of the adjacent arms 12B may obstruct the removal of the ball portion 16A. In an embodiment, a snap-fit connection is formed. Additionally, the flexure of the adjacent arms 12B may provide a compressive force on the ball portion 16A that hinders movement thereof. Further, the tackiness or frictional properties of the outer surface of the building units 10A-B provides additional impedance to withdrawal of the ball portion 16A from the socket 20B. A combination of these mechanisms may also be employed.

The use of a ball-and-socket style engagement between the first and second building units 10A-B provides a rotatable engagement between the two building units 10A-B. The first building unit 10A may be rotated about an axis formed coaxially with the arm 12A and ball portion 16A that engage the socket 20B, as depicted best by FIG. 4. In addition, the first building unit 10A may be pivoted or articulated about the ball-and-socket style joint in any direction allowable by the configuration of the building units 10A-B.

In an embodiment, the ball portions 16 and the sockets 20 are configured to aid in guiding a ball portion 16A of a first building unit 10A into proper alignment with the socket 20B of a second building unit 10B. Such self-guiding may assist children that do not have fully developed fine motor skills in assembling the building units 10. Further, the configuration allows a plurality of building units 10 to be placed together, such as in a pile, and a general compressive force applied (e.g. a child pressing down on the pile with a hand) to cause engagement of two or more of the building units 10. In an embodiment, the generally spherical shape of the ball portions 16 provides the self-guiding characteristics of the building units 10 by biasing movement of a ball portion 16 of a first building unit 10 toward the center of a socket 20 of a second building unit 10 when the first and second building units 10 are forced together.

In another embodiment, one or more accessory components are provided for use with the building units 10. Accessory components include items such as wheels, flats, connectors, facial features like eyes, a nose, or a mouth, automobile features, construction vehicle features like a bulldozer tracks, a crane, or a bucket, or building features like a roof, a door, or a window, and the like. The accessory components are provided with a connector that engages a socket 20 or a ball portion 16 of one or more building units 10. For example, the connector includes a socket that accepts a ball portion 16 therein or includes a ball that can be inserted into a socket 20.

Typically all of the building units 10 are provided in a single size, however embodiments are contemplated in which multiple building units 10 of various sizes are configured for use in concert. Further, multiple size configurations of the building units 10 may be provided for use by different age groups. For example, smaller building units 10 might be provided for young children while larger building units are provided for older children.

Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the scope of the claims below. Embodiments of the technology have been described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of this disclosure after, and because of reading it. Alternative means of implementing the aforementioned can be completed without departing from the scope of the claims below. Certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. 

1. A toy-building unit comprising: six arms that extend from a central body at perpendicular angles to adjacent arms, wherein the central body is formed by an intersection of first ends of the six arms; a substantially spherical second end of each of the six arms, the second end being distal to the central body; and a cavity formed by an intersection of three adjacent arms of the six arms and the central body, wherein the cavity comprises at least a portion void that is dimensioned to engage the second end of one of the six arms of another toy-building unit.
 2. The toy-building unit of claim 1, wherein each of the three adjacent arms and the central body include a concave portion, and the concave portions together form the cavity, and wherein the cavity is substantially spherical.
 3. The toy-building unit of claim 1, wherein the second end of an arm of a first toy-building unit engages the cavity of a second toy-building unit to removeably and rotatably couple the first and second toy-building units.
 4. The toy-building unit of claim 3, wherein the coupling of the first and second toy-building units is maintained by one or more of friction between surfaces of the first and second toy-building units and mechanical engagement between the first and second toy-building units.
 5. The toy-building unit of claim 4, wherein the second end of each of the arms provides a ball for a ball-and-socket style joint and the cavity provides a socket for a ball-and-socket style joint.
 6. The toy-building unit of claim 3, wherein the second end of the arm of the first toy-building unit engages the cavity of the second toy-building unit via a snap-fit connection.
 7. The toy-building unit of claim 1, wherein the toy-building unit is composed of one or more of a rubber, a plastic, and a metal.
 8. The toy-building unit of claim 7, wherein a coating is applied to an exterior surface of the toy-building unit.
 9. The toy-building unit of claim 8, wherein the coating is applied to an internal skeleton of the toy-building unit.
 10. The toy-building unit of claim 1, wherein one or more accessory components are attached to the toy-building unit.
 11. The toy-building unit of claim 3, wherein the first and second toy-building units include one or more of a magnet and a magnetic material.
 12. The toy-building unit of claim 3, wherein the engagement between the first and second toy-building units is self-guiding.
 13. A toy-building unit comprising: six arms of equal length that extend from a central body, wherein four of the six arms lie in substantially a single plane and the remaining two of the six arms extend from the central body perpendicularly to the plane and in opposite directions to one another, and wherein the central body is formed by an intersection of proximate ends of the six arms; a substantially spherical ball located at a distal end of each of the six arms; and a socket formed by an intersection of any three adjacent arms and the central body, wherein each of the three adjacent arms and the central body include a scalloped portion that is dimensioned to form the socket, and wherein the socket comprises a portion of a substantially spherical void that is dimensioned to engage the ball of another toy-building unit.
 14. The toy-building unit of claim 13, wherein a first toy-building unit is coupled to a second toy-building unit by inserting at least one first ball of the first toy-building unit into an equal number of cavities of the second toy-building unit, the first ball of the first toy-building unit contacting a second ball of at least one of three adjacent arms of the second toy-building unit, at least one of the three adjacent arms at least partially flexing to allow the first ball of the first toy-building unit to pass between the second balls of the three adjacent arms and to engage the socket.
 15. The toy-building unit of claim 14, wherein three first balls of the first toy-building unit engage three sockets of the second toy-building unit.
 16. The toy-building unit of claim 14, wherein the diameter of the void is one of larger than the diameter of the ball, the same as the diameter of the ball, or smaller than the diameter of the ball.
 17. The toy-building unit of claim 14, wherein the coupling between the first ball of a first toy-building unit and the socket of a second toy-building unit is maintained by one or more of friction between surfaces of the first and second toy-building units and a mechanical interaction between the first ball of the first toy-building unit and one or more of the socket and the second balls of the second toy-building unit.
 18. A method for constructing a structure comprising: providing a plurality of toy-building units that each include six arms that extend from a central body at perpendicular angles to adjacent arms the central body being formed by an intersection of first ends of the six arms, a substantially spherical ball located at a second end of each of the six arms, and a cavity formed by an intersection of three adjacent arms of the six arms and the central body, wherein the cavity comprises at least a portion of a substantially spherical void that is dimensioned to engage the ball of one of the six arms; inserting at least one first ball of a first toy-building unit of the plurality of toy-building units into an equal number of cavities of a second toy-building unit of the plurality of toy-building units, the first ball contacting a second ball of at least one of three adjacent arms of the second toy-building unit, at least one of the three adjacent arms at least partially flexing to allow the first ball to pass between the second balls of the three adjacent arms and to engage the socket.
 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: attaching one or more accessory components to one or more of the plurality of toy-building units.
 20. The toy-building unit of 18, wherein inserting the at least one first ball of the first toy-building unit of the plurality of toy-building units into an equal number of cavities of the second toy-building unit of the plurality of toy-building units is self-guiding to allow the insertion without precise alignment between the first and second toy-building units. 